“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the world’s blueprint for a better future for all on a healthy planet. On World Population Day, we recognize that this mission is closely interrelated with demographic trends including population growth, ageing, migration and urbanization.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

World Population Day, which seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of
population issues, was established by the then-Governing Council of the United Nations
Development Programme in 1989, an outgrowth of the interest generated by the Day of
Five Billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.
This year’s World Population Day calls for global attention to the unfinished business of
the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development . Twenty-five years
have passed since that landmark conference, where 179 governments recognized that
reproductive health and gender equality are essential for achieving sustainable
development.
In November, UNFPA, together with the governments of Kenya and Denmark, will be
convening a high-level conference in Nairobi to accelerate efforts to achieve these unmet goals. On World Population Day, advocates from around the world are calling on leaders, policymakers, grassroots organizers, institutions and others to help make reproductive health and rights a reality for all.

Why Do We Mark International Days?
International days are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize
political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce
achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. More information available here .

​Seafarers are on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, playing an essential role in maintaining the flow of vital goods, such as food, medicines and medical supplies.
However, the crisis has led to difficult working conditions for seafarers, including
uncertainties and difficulties about port access, re-supply, crew changeovers and
repatriation.
This year, the Day of the Seafarer campaign calls on Member States to recognize seafarers as key workers – and to provide them with the support, assistance and travel options open to all key workers during the pandemic.
The 2020 Day of the Seafarer campaign pays tribute to seafarers, acknowledging their
sacrifice and the issues they face. Many seafarers have been away from home for months and are unsure when they will be able to return home due to travel restrictions.
The campaign also seeks to raise awareness of the work achieved by seafarers in response to the pandemic and to thank them for their contribution. Everyone is invited to recognize that the ability of seafarers to deliver vital goods is central to responding to, and eventually overcoming, this pandemic.
The campaign encourages everyone to treat seafarers with the respect and dignity they
deserve so that they can continue to provide their vital services to keep world trade
moving.

Time for nature

The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature. For instance, each year, marine plants produce more than a half of our atmosphere’s oxygen, and a mature tree cleans our air, absorbing 22 kilos of carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen in exchange. Despite all the benefits that our nature give us, we still mistreat it.That is why we need to work on that. That is why we need this Observance.

World Environment Day is the most renowned day for environmental action. Since 1974, it has been celebrated every year on 5 June: engaging governments, businesses,
celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

In 2020, the theme is biodiversity – a concern that is both urgent and existential. Recent
events, from bushfires in Brazil, the United States, and Australia to locust infestations
across East Africa – and now, a global disease pandemic – demonstrate the
interdependence of humans and the webs of life, in which they exist.

But, do we really know its importance ? Maybe our biodiversity trivial will help.

Background
World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in
1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to the creation
of UNEP. It is hosted every year by a different city and commemorated with an international exposition through the week of June 5.

World Environment Day is celebrated in many ways in countries such as Kenya, New
Zealand, Poland, Spain and the United States. Activities include street rallies and
parades, as well as concerts, tree planting, and clean-up campaigns. In many countries,
this annual event is used to enhance political attention and action towards improving
the environment. This observance also provides an opportunity to sign or ratify
international environmental conventions

By dint of coordinated action, original initiatives and creativity, this imposed downtime has made it possible to see what is one of humanity’s riches: our diversity.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay :: Read message Impact of COVID-19 on the Cultural Sector.

Cultural events cancelled, cultural institutions closed, community cultural practices
suspended, empty UNESCO World Heritage sites, heightened risk of looting of cultural
sites and poaching at natural sites, artists unable to make ends meet and the cultural
tourism sector greatly affected… The impact of COVID-19 on the cultural sector is being
felt around the world. This impact is social, economic and political – it affects the
fundamental right of access to culture, the social rights of artists and creative
professionals, and the protection of a diversity of cultural expressions.
The unfolding crisis risks deepening inequalities and rendering communities vulnerable.
In addition, the creative and cultural industries (CCI) contribute US$2,250bn to the
global economy (3% of GDP) and account for 29.5 million jobs worldwide. The
economic fall-out of not addressing the cultural sector – and all auxiliary services,
particularly in the tourism sector – could also be disastrous. (source ” Culture & COVID-19: Impact and Response Tracker – Issue 2 “)

Culture: A Source of Resilience
During this time of mass confinement, billions of people are turning to culture as a source of comfort, well-being and connection. There has been a surge in the creation of, and access to, cultural content online – from virtual visits to museums and galleries, streaming of films and even community choirs via social media – showing its fundamental role as a source of resilience for communities. Major crises throughout history have often given rise to a renaissance of culture and an explosion of new forms of creativity, so vital for human progress.